Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday urged his Palestinian counterpart to renew peace talks instead of pursuing efforts at the International Criminal Court or United Nations."There is no other way than direct negotiations. Unilateral steps will not solve the conflict, but just give more power to the extremists," Rivlin said during a visit by a delegation of US senators headed by Republican John McCain.

"I call upon President (Mahmoud) Abbas: instead of going to The Hague or to the United Nations, come to Jerusalem. Come to talk directly to the Israeli government and people," Rivlin said.

Palestine applied earlier this month to become a party to the Hague-based ICC and recognized its jurisdiction to retroactively cover a period including the Gaza war.

The ICC announced Friday it was launching a "preliminary examination" into Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories, including last summer's war with Gaza militants.

The Palestinians last month also attempted to have a resolution passed at the UN Security Council on ending Israel's occupation, but it was rejected.

Both moves were strongly condemned by Israel and its key ally the United States.

The latest round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed nine months ago without any visible results.

The presidency in Israel is a largely ceremonial post, but past presidents have used the position to promote political messages.

Rivlin, who was a long-time member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, had in the past spoken against establishing a Palestinian state but since being sworn in as president in July 2014 largely restricted his public statements to internal Israeli issues.

The Israeli premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, has called on the United States to interfere to prevent the International Criminal Court (ICC) from launching a probe into the situation in the Palestinian territories.Netanyahu had called US Secretary of State John Kerry and asked him to interfere to prevent the court from launching the inquiry, Israeli TV Channel 2 said Saturday.

Earlier on Friday ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, announced that the court had opened a preliminary investigation into the "situation in Palestine" after the Palestinian government accused the Israeli occupation of committing war crimes against the Palestinian people.

Bensouda said that her examination would be conducted "in full independence and impartiality," a decision that has been slammed as "shameful" by the Israeli government.

"Israel rejects the absurd decision of the ICC prosecutor," Netanyahu was quoted by his office as saying on Saturday.

He said he would not be surprised if the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militant group, al-Qaeda, or the Lebanese movement Hezbollah followed suit.

"To what depth of absurdity has the tribunal sunk?" PM asks, claiming that a decision to probe possible war crimes in Palestinian territories runs contrary to reasons for which the tribunal was created.

The US Department of State on Friday expressed opposition to the decision of the ICC prosecutor.

Israeli war minister, Moshe Ya'alon, meanwhile, criticized the ICC decision, describing it on his Facebook page as a "hypocritical" one that condones terrorism instead of fighting it.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, hailed such a move by the ICC dubbing it a step in the right direction.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri called on the court to carry out the necessary procedures and take legal action against the Israeli occupation war criminals.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said it welcomed the decision to open an initial probe on Israeli war crimes at the International Criminal Court.The ministry said in a statement that the ICC decision was a positive and important step towards achieving justice and guaranteeing respect of international law.

Palestine will fully cooperate with the ICC and facilitate its mission until justice is achieved, the statement said.

"The State of Palestine has signed the Rome Statue to guarantee an end to war crimes and crimes against humanity, which Israel, the occupying authority, has committed and is still committing against our people," it added.

The Hamas movement also applauded the decision, saying it was ready to present thousands of documents to the ICC that prove Israeli war crimes have taken place.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement that the war crimes probe was an important, long-awaited step.

"This step will be a spark of hope that Palestinians will be able to see the Israeli leadership prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes," Barhoum said.

On Friday, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened an initial probe to see if war crimes have been committed against Palestinians, including during Israel's military assault on Gaza last summer.

The Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights welcomed in a statement issued Saturday the decision made by the International Criminal Court (ICC) "to open a preliminary probe into the situation in Palestine".The Euro-Mid Observer said that ICC General Prosecutor’s decision to open an inquiry into war crimes committed in the occupied territories gives hope for justice to thousands of victims of war crimes.

This decision would put an end to impunity for crimes against humanity that often causes further conflict and violence escalation, the statement said.

“We, in the Euro-Mid Observer, have long called for an independent investigation into crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

The observer declared willingness “to cooperate with the General Prosecutor and to provide the needed evidence that will lead to credible and accurate results.”

The statement called on European countries to support ICC’s decision and to pressure the Israeli authorities to fully cooperate.

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda decided Friday to open a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine after accepting the jurisdiction of the ICC over Israeli crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, since June 13, 2014.

The United States joined Israel in condemning the International Criminal Court decision to open a preliminary probe into possible war crimes committed against Palestinians, blasting it as a "tragic irony."ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said her office would conduct an "analysis in full independence and impartiality" into alleged war crimes by Israel, including those committed during last year's Gaza offensive.

Her decision comes after Palestine formally joined the ICC earlier this month, allowing it to lodge war crimes and crimes against humanity complaints against Israel as of April.

Nearly 2,200 Palestinians, overwhelmingly civilians, and 73 Israelis, almost all soldiers, were killed during last summer's Israeli assault on Gaza.

The US criticized the decision late Friday, saying it opposed actions against Israel at the ICC as "counterproductive to the cause of peace."

"It is a tragic irony that Israel, which has withstood thousands of terrorist rockets fired at its civilians and its neighborhoods, is now being scrutinized by the ICC," US State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier reacted angrily to the prosecutor's decision, calling it "scandalous" and "absurd" since "the Palestinian Authority cooperates with Hamas, a terror group that commits war crimes, in contrast to Israel that fights terror while maintaining international law, and has an independent justice system."

Gambian-born Bensouda had earlier stressed that "a preliminary examination is not an investigation but a process of examining the information available ... on whether there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation."

Bensouda will decide at a later stage whether to launch a full investigation.

Stalled US-led peace process

Israel began a massive crackdown on the West Bank on June 13 after the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers, triggering a series of escalations that led to the seven-week Gaza war.

Palestine's move to join the ICC is also seen as part of a shift in strategy to internationalize its campaign for statehood and move away from the stalled US-led peace process.

Many Palestinians regard the process with suspicion as Israel has consistently increased settlement expansion and land confiscation during the talks, in addition to arrests and killings of activists.

The Palestinians were upgraded from observer status to UN "observer state" in 2012, opening the doors for them to join the ICC and a host of other international organizations.

Israel reacted swiftly on Friday, slamming the announcement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the sole purpose of the preliminary examination was to "try to harm Israel's right to defend itself from terror" and he said the decision was "solely motivated by political anti-Israel considerations."

Lieberman accused the court of double standards for not examining the mass killings in Syria or other conflict zones, investigating instead "the most moral army in the world."

Israel earlier this month delayed transferring some $127 million in taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinians in retaliation for the attempts to press war crimes charges against Israel.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki welcomed the ICC's move.

"Everything is going according to plan, no state and nobody can now stop this action we requested," he told AFP.

"In the end, a full investigation will follow the preliminary one."

'Justice for victims'

Rights group Amnesty International welcomed the ICC's announcement saying it "could pave the way for thousands of victims of crimes under international law to gain access to justice."

But the initial probe could lead to an investigation into crimes "committed by all side," Amnesty stressed in a statement.

Friday's announcement is the second such initial probe by the ICC's prosecutor into the situation in Palestine.

The Palestinian Authority in 2009 lodged a complaint against Israel but the ICC prosecutor said in 2012 after "carefully considering legal arguments" it could not investigate because of the Palestinians' status at the UN.

At the time the Palestinians' "observer" status blocked them from signing up to the ICC's founding Rome Statute.

The ICC, which sits in The Hague in the Netherlands, is the world's first independent court set up in 2002 to investigate genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

But it can only probe alleged crimes in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute, or accepts the Hague-based court's jurisdiction for a certain time period, or through a referral by the UN Security Council.

Following the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to launch a preliminary investigation to determine “whether war crimes have been committed” during Israel’s last war Gaza in the summer of 2014, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened that Israel “would act on dissolving the ICC," and considered the decision “provocative.”

He added that Israel will not cooperate with any investigation, and will act on the international level to dissolve the ICC after describing the decision as hypocritical, and supportive of what he called “terrorism.”

Lieberman also alleged that the decision is an outcome of what he called anti-Israel moves that only aim at “harming Israel and its right to defend itself.”

The Foreign Minister went on to talk about Syria and how the court “failed to intervene,” adding that there is no comparison between the Israeli army, which he called the most moral army in the world, with what he labeled as “terror groups” in Gaza.

He called on his government to officially reject the decision, and refrain from any cooperation with it.

On Friday evening, Lieberman told Israel’s Channel 2 TV that Tel Aviv should act on removing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from his post, and engage in talks with some Arab countries to reach what he called “a peaceful resolution that does not harm Israel’s ability to defend itself.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also angered by the decision, and said that the ICC cannot conduct the investigation because “Palestine is not a sovereign state.”

The latest developments came after the ICC prosecutor Fatou Densouda declared she has opened a preliminary investigation of “possible” war crimes committed during the most recent Israeli war on Gaza.

She also vowed an independent and impartial preliminary investigation, adding that the move comes after the Palestinian Authority signed the founding treaty of the ICC in July of last year, and officially recognized its jurisdiction.

During the summer Israeli escalation on the Gaza Strip, the army bombarded dozens of thousands of Palestinian homes and residential towers, hospitals and clinics, UNRWA schools and facilities, media offices and dozens of other civilian facilities, in addition to destroying the infrastructure in the besieged coastal region.

The Ministry of Housing in Gaza recently said the number of homes that have been destroyed, and partially damaged, during the Israeli aggression on the coastal region is close to 124,000.

The Israeli bombardment and shelling killed at around 2137 Palestinians, including 578 children, 264 women, and 103 elderly, while more than 11100, including 3374 children, 2088 women and 410 elderly.

Our organisations[1] welcome the opening by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) of a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine, which represents hope for victims and for lasting peace in the region.The Office of the Prosecutor will examine all relevant elements in order to reach a fully informed decision on whether there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation.« We are faced today with ongoing impunity for international crimes committed during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This step forward taken by the ICC Prosecutor is a positive signal sent to victims whose voices have not yet been heard by the international community », said Karim Lahidji, FIDH President.« The ICC intervention can only contribute to strengthening the rule of law at the national level and to preventing further crimes », added Shawan Jabareen, FIDH Vice-President and General Director of Al Haq. The ICC Prosecutor will now examine all relevant information on alleged international crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem since 13 June 2014. The State of Palestine formally acceded to the ICC Statute on 2 January 2015 and lodged an Article 12(3) declaration accepting the ICC jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory since 13 June 2014.During a mission to the occupied Palestinian Gaza strip and the West Bank in October 2014, FIDH was able to document and witness the tragic effects of the Protective Edge operation in the occupied Gaza strip and the daily discrimination against the Palestinians throughout the OPT as well as growing settlement extension in the West Bank. FIDH calls upon the International Commission of Inquiry on the Gaza conflict, the State of Palestine and all relevant States and organisations to fully cooperate with the ICC Office of the Prosecutor and facilitate the work of the International Criminal Court. FIDH together with its member organisations will continue cooperating with the ICC Office of the Prosecutor and contributing to its analysis of the situation, as well as collaborating with the International Commission of Inquiry.Footnotes [1]FIDH and its member organizations in Palestine, Al-Haq, Al-Mezan and Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)[2]FIDH and its member organizations in Palestine, Al-Haq, Al-Mezan and Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor, on Friday, opened an initial probe to see if war crimes have been committed against Palestinians, including during last year's war on Gaza. "Today the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine," her office announced in a statement, adding it may lead to a full-blown investigation.

According to AFP, Bensouda said her office would conduct its "analysis in full independence and impartiality".

"A preliminary examination is not an investigation but a process of examining the information available in order to reach a fully informed determination on whether there is a reasonable basis to proceed with a (full) investigation," Bensouda said.

Depending on her findings, Bensouda will decide at a later stage whether to launch or quash the investigation, based on the initial probe.

President Mahmoud Abbas signed requests to join the ICC and 16 other conventions, following the UN Security Council's failure to adopt a resolution which might have opened channels for full Palestinian statehood.

The US branded the move as "counterproductive", while Israel responded by delaying the transfer of $127 million in taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinians.

U.S. President Barck Obama Monday briefed the Israeli premier on Washington’s positions vis-à-vis the latest Palestinian request to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Barack Obama spoke by phone on Monday with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu about ongoing nuclear talks with Iran and about the Palestinian move to join the ICC, the White House said."President Obama underscored that the United States does not believe Palestinian accession to the ICC is a constructive way forward," the White House said in a statement, reiterating the U.S. position that the Palestinian Authority is not a sovereign state and does not legally qualify to join the Rome Statute.

"The United States continues to strongly oppose actions by both parties that undermine trust, and encourages both sides to seek ways to deescalate tensions," the statement read.

Earlier, on Friday, the Palestinian delegation to the UN delivered the paperwork to Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Stephen Mathias, asking for membership in the ICC.

The Palestinians moved quickly to join the court after suffering a defeat at the U.N. Security Council, which rejected a resolution that would have set a three-year deadline for the end of the Israeli occupation.

American senators have threatened Palestinian leadership with a "strong response" over the recent decision to join the International Criminal Court. Press TV reports, via PNN, that Senators Lindsey Graham, Robert Menendez, Chuck Schumer, and Mark Kirk issued the warning in a statement, on Friday.

The statement described the Palestinian move as "deplorable" and "counterproductive."

PA President Mahmoud Abbas signed an application to join the Hague-based ICC after the United Nations Security Council rejected a Palestinian proposal for statehood on December 30, 2014.

"Existing US law makes clear that if the Palestinians initiate an ICC judicially authorized investigation, or actively support such an investigation, all economic assistance to the PA must end," the senators said, adding:

"In light of this legal requirement, Congress will reassess its support for assistance to the PA and seek additional ways to make clear to President Abbas that we strongly oppose his efforts to seek membership in the ICC."

The United Nations announced this week that the State of Palestine will join the International Criminal Court on April 1, 2015. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced on Tuesday that the UN approved the documents submitted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to join the ICC.

Israel's immediate response was to freeze millions of dollars of tax funds to the Palestinians and to threaten other sanctions. Not surprising.

What was surprising was the response from the United States to Palestine's membership to the ICC. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee, is leading the way to defund U.S. aid to Palestine.

Sen. Rand Paul has even introduced new legislation to cut all funding to the Palestinian Authority. The State Department calls Palestine's move to join the ICC "counterproductive," the go-to phrase typical from that agency.

Many Palestinians and supporters of the State of Palestine are curious about the U.S. applying such financial pressure to the P.A. After all, the U.S. has been selling a narrative of democracy-building in the Middle East as part of official foreign policy for the past two decades.

What is more democratic than a state exercising its right to join international organizations and grow its influence?

Why should Palestine be punished for wishing to be a self-determined and independent member of world bodies such as the UN, the ICC, signing on to the Rome Statute, etc.

It is no secret that the U.S. has a record of double standards when it comes to its policies toward Palestine compared to how it protects Israel at all expense.

A current example would be the soft touch applied toward Israel for freezing Palestinian tax funds, a violation of Israel's responsibilities according to the Paris Protocol.

The European Union chief, Federica Mogherini, issued a statement holding Israel accountable for this violation. The U.S. followed with a statement opposing actions that would raise tensions. While the State Dept. spokesperson, Jen Psaki, was condemning the tax freeze on Monday, U.S. legislators were filing documents to cut funding to Palestine.

The accession of Palestine into the ICC is primarily symbolic since Israel is not a member of the Court and the ICC has no jurisdiction to police a non-member country.

The U.S. is also outside of ICC jurisdiction, which is ironic but not surprising.

Those who lobby for Israel inside the U.S. legislative chambers claim that Palestinian membership to the ICC is a move to isolate Israel and marginalize the Israelis.

I find that to be an interesting motive for defunding Palestine when the present Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu and under corruption investigations within Israel, has already done that.

While the U.S. has moved on from the deadly Israeli attack on Gaza over the summer, and the numerous military operations before that, the Palestinians have not.

There are still many thousands of Palestinian refugees who are homeless from Israel's irresponsible and inhumane bombings of entire neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip between early July and late August of 2014.

Despite a ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Hamas, Israel has violated it over ninety times.

If the U.S. truly appreciated and supported democratic resolutions to conflicts such as that between Israel and the Palestinians, then it would support the full self-governance of the State of Palestine without condemning it for working toward being a democracy.